Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

(carob syrup, etc.) have been used as food for
centuries. Currently, the flour is popular in
health foods and as a cocoa substitute, for
which roasted kibbles are used, while carob
extracts are widely used as flavor ingredients
(e.g., butterscotch, imitation chocolate, and
vanilla) in all kinds offood products, including
alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, frozen
dairydesserts,candy,bakedgoods,gelatinsand
puddings, meatandmeat products,condiments
and relishes, fruit and ices, sweet sauces, grav-
ies, imitation dairy, and many others. Highest
average maximum use levels reported are in
imitationdairy (0.50%), fruit andices(0.50%),
gravies (0.46%), sweet sauces (0.46%), and
condiments and relishes (0.42%). Carob seed
is also the source oflocust bean gum(galacto-
mannan)thatiswidelyusedinfoodstoincrease
viscosity.

Dietary Supplements/Health Foods. Carob
flour is widely used in health food products,
including weight-loss formulations, ‘‘energy’’
bars, tea formulations, and other products,
primarily as a chocolate substitute.
Use of carob in the United States is largely
as a chocolate substitute; imitation chocolate

products containing carob include brownies,

carob chip cookies, candy bars, bits, creams,

fudge, carob-flavored milk, and so on.^20

Traditional Medicine. The dried seed ker-

nels (GHAZANFAR) and carob flour has long

been used as an antidiarrheal by people of the

Mediterranean and Aegean regions.^21 The

ancient Egyptians used the pods in topical

treatments of wounds and eye conditions,

and internally in other conditions (MANNICHE).

A decoction of the pods has been used for

catarrhal infections (UPHOF).

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Roasted and unroasted crude (kibbles), syr-

up, and extracts; extracts usually come in

specific flavor strengths, depending on users’

requirements.

Regulatory Status. Essential oil, solvent-free

oleoresin, and natural extractives of

carob bean/St. John’s bread are GRAS

(§182.20).

REFERENCES

See the General References forARCTANDER;BIANCHINI AND CORBETTA;FEMA;UPHOF.

1. B. Haber,Cereal Foods World, 47 , 365
   (2002).


2. T.G.Loo,PublicR.Trop.Inst.Amsterdam,
   288 (1969).


3. Y. Vardar et al.,Qual. Plant. Mater. Veg.,
   21 , 367 (1972).


4. M. A. Joslyn et al.,J. Sci. Food Agric., 19 ,
   543 (1968).


5. B. H. Most et al.,Planta, 92 , 41 (1970).


6. R. Avallone et al.,Food Comp. Anal., 10 ,
   166 (1997).


7. R. W. Owen et al.,Food Chem. Toxicol.,
   41 , 1727 (2003).


8. J. Artaud et al., Ann. Falsif. Expert.
   Chim., 70 (749), 39 (1977).
   9. J. Artaud et al., Ann. Falsif. Expert.
   Chim., 69 (737), 23 (1976).


9. I. Orhan and B. Sener, J. Herbal
   Pharmacother., 2 , 29 (2002).


10. K. Perez-Olleros et al.,J. Sci. Food Agric.,
    79 , 173 (1999).


11. P. Wuersch,J. Nutr., 109 , 685 (1970).


12. A. M. Forestieri,Phytother. Res., 3 ,1,
    (1989).


13. L. Corsi et al., Fitoterapia, 73 , 674
    (2002).


14. S. Kumazawa et al.,J. Agric. Food Chem.,
    50 , 373 (2002).


15. R. Avallone et al.,Fitoterapia, 73 , 390
    (2002).

144 Carob